VANCOUVER — People with ornithophobia have a new tool to fight their fear of birds — a map that tracks crow attacks.
Instructors at Langara College in Vancouver used open-source software to create the online map, which allows anyone with an Internet connection to pinpoint where they were attacked and add details, such as how aggressive the bird was.
Jim O'Leary teaches Geographic Information Systems at the college and says he and his colleague Rick Davidson wanted to show how the course content could be put to use.
O'Leary says he was inspired to start tracking crow attacks after witnessing several in downtown Vancouver last year and thinking that recording them could help better understand the problem.
The birds are particularly aggressive during the spring, when they are protecting their nests.
Hundreds of attacks have been documented on the map since it launched in April, including reports from Victoria and Antigonish, N.S.
O'Leary says he and his colleague didn't know how popular the map would become.
"I originally envisioned it as being the greater Vancouver area, but crow attacks seem to touch a nerve with people. It seems like many people have a crow story that they want to tell," he says. "I guess crows are aggressive everywhere."
Mapping the attacks helps establish where the most aggressive crows are and gives an idea of whether there are any patterns, O'Leary says.
![](https://media.darpanmagazine.com/library/uploads/news/content/crow-attack1#@</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
"with all our technology skills, we shouldn't be run off the street by the crows. so this is our response," he says. "the first part of a solution is to find out what a problem is."</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
so far, there have been dozens of attacks reported in downtown vancouver, and o'leary says he believes there are more crows in the area because of the concentration of garbage cans and tall trees.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
o'leary says he isn't sure whether governments would be interested in the information, but notes that it's all public and at least it gives people an idea of where the crows are located.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
"at the very least, people can vent their frustrations and they can see where the concentrations are," he says.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
it has also taught o'leary that the birds are more aggressive than he ever imagined. he's heard reports of crows banding together to dive-bomb a passerby, and of birds targeting dogs and cats.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
the map has also sparked interest in langara's geographic information systems certificate program, which teaches students how to manage and use geographic data.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
o'leary says seven people signed up for his course within a week of the map gaining notoriety.</div>.jpg)
MORE National ARTICLES
American Man Who Wanted Sex With Canadian Girl, 13, Faces Up To 50 Years Jail
Paul Binh Do, 29, was taken into federal custody this week after signing a plea deal involving two charges: travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and being in receipt of child pornography
American Man Who Wanted Sex With Canadian Girl, 13, Faces Up To 50 Years Jail
South Asian Community Offering Free Rooms, And Gas To Fort McMurray Wildfire Evacuees
Guru Nanak Sikh Society Gurdwara in Edmonton says people in the congregation — and outside of it — are offering rooms in their homes or places to park campers.
South Asian Community Offering Free Rooms, And Gas To Fort McMurray Wildfire Evacuees
Gangs Suspected As Man Injured In Targeted East Vancouver Shooting
A man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds was found in the backyard of home.
Gangs Suspected As Man Injured In Targeted East Vancouver Shooting
B.C. Fire Season Flares Up Early Thanks To Unseasonably Warm, Dry Weather: Expert
VANCOUVER — There appears to be little relief on the way to help with this year's uncharacteristically early start to British Columbia's fire season.
B.C. Fire Season Flares Up Early Thanks To Unseasonably Warm, Dry Weather: Expert
Suspect Arrested After Fatal Stabbing In Chilliwack
The RCMP say they were called to the scene (on Yale Road near Spadina Ave.) after receiving a report of a stabbing at about 3:30 p.m.
Suspect Arrested After Fatal Stabbing In Chilliwack
Ontario Woman Ordered To Pay $282,000 After Futile 20-Year Battle Over Property
A woman who spent 20 years wrongly insisting she owned a piece of her neighbour's property will have to pay his estate $282,000 in legal costs, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday.